Hope Out of Anger
by gimpy810
Summary: Bella loses it and can't help but feel like some part of her has died, and to survive she needs to let go of the one thing she thought she couldn't survive without. Follow her as she lets go and just lives.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, no characters, no places, no books, no titles, nothing. Stephanie Meyer owns it all.

**A/N**

**So, this is my first attempt at writing a fanfic. Hope it lives up to your expectations. I guess this takes place sometime during Eclipse, since she's graduating and the battle with Victoria is yet to happen, but certain things have already happened (you'll have to read to find out). My timeline may be a little messed up but it needed to be to make my story work. Hey, it's fanfiction, I figured I could be a little less technical. lol**

Summary: Bella loses it and can't help but feel like some part of her has died, and to survive she needs to let go of the one thing she thought she couldn't survive without. Follow her as she lets go and just lives. There will be Edward, the Pack, the Cullens, and the Volturi. Rated M for future language and possible lemons.

**Chapter 1: Anger, Demise, Hope**

Edward, ugh, pacing the floor and pinching the bridge of his nose. I swear, if he doesn't stop I'm going to throw something right at that perfect nose, with those perfect fingers pinching, and knock him right between the eyes. So what if it won't hurt him. Sometimes insult is worse than injury. With him being a vampire, I had no way to take out my frustrations on him. Slapping him would only cause me pain and probably break a bone or two. I realized then that if I hit him I would miss the bonfire anyway for x-rays and god knows what treatment Carlisle would need to perform to fix my injuries.

"Bella, it's out of the question. I refuse to allow you to endanger yourself by spending the evening with a bunch of volatile, teen-age werewolves! I have sworn to myself that I would protect you at all costs and that is just what I intend to do. There is too much that could harm you there and I just won't take that risk." His voice lowered to a more gentle tone near the end. God, does he realize it's not his risk to take? I'm a grown woman for crying out loud! Edward had stopped right in front of me and put his hands on my shoulders, staring into my eyes. Oh jeez, he's trying to "dazzle" me again. The family had moved to the outskirts of the room, trying to give the illusion of privacy, but who are we kidding. This is a train wreck, and they were just glued to the scene, knowing they shouldn't be watching, but not wanting to miss a minute of it.

"Edward, you are being ridiculous. It's a BONFIRE! And I'm the guest of honor! They are doing this as a graduation celebration for me! They're not going to eat me, they're not going to use me for some wierd ritual werewolf sacrifice. We are going to sit around, tell stories and eat hotdogs. I spent months in La Push while you were gone and I'm fine! My god, can you just give it a rest for just one night!" Edward began pacing again. I, on the other hand, stood completely still, seething, taking stock of the room, still looking for something to throw at him. I could see Jasper across the room, a look of complete concentration on his face. He's probably trying to calm me down, but I am too furious, too enraged for his gift to even touch me. Where is this fury, this rage even coming from? But I realized I already knew. Ever since we returned from Voltera, Edward had turned the protectiveness up about 5000 notches. I was just like a china doll to him. Too fragile, too breakable, too valuable to risk any threat of injury. Oh my god, I was... was... like... his PET, his CHILD! Oh no, Oh no no no.

"Bella, it is simply not possible for you to go to La Push. Let us leave out the fact that there is the threat of highly skilled vampire coming to take my love away from me, or the possibility of the Volturi arriving at any time to see if you have been changed. Do you know what sort of things could happen to you at a bonfire? My love, you know how clumsy you are, we wouldn't want you falling into the fire, now would we?" Then he smirked, looking at me like I was a five year old who got caught scribbling on the walls. Ugh, he was so condescending I wanted to throw up. How could I have been so stupid not to see it before? "Now Bella, you know that Alice had a whole evening planned for the two of you. You wouldn't want to hurt your sister would you?" I spun my head to look at Alice. She opened her mouth as if to say something. Jasper shot her a look and she clamped her jaws shut with a loud clack. If she was human, I swear her perfect teeth would have cracked.

It was my turn to start pacing. My adrenaline was pumping furiously through my veins. I felt like I was seeing red. He was killing me, slowing but surely part of me was dying. And I could no longer let that happen. "Edward, how dare you treat me like a child! For your information I survived for 17 years before I even met you and 6 months while you were off with your 'distractions.' And lets not leave out the fact that during that time I managed to survive meeting up with a sadistic vampire in the woods by myself, slapping a werewolf, learning how to ride a motorcycle, and diving off a cliff! Contrary to what you may believe, I think I can handle myself!" Ok, I knew the comment about his "distractions" was hitting below the belt. The pain that flashed on his face told me that, but I didn't care. I was too far gone.

Edward sighed and I'll be damned if he didn't pinch the bridge of his freakin nose again. "Bella love, almost all those things happened to you in La Push, while you were with Jacob. Surely, you understand my concern. I cannot allow you to associate with anyone who would allow you to take such risks so freely. They have no concern for your safety, for your life." I couldn't believe he had the audacity to accuse Jacob and the pack of such a thing. Not when they had allied with the Cullens to defend me and my life against whatever violence Victoria had planned for me. I knew that he was playing dirty with Jacob in order to keep me. Well, now it was my turn to play dirty. "Edward, at least I have an actual life! You know, a living, breathing, heart-beating LIFE and trust me, I plan on keeping it!" I noticed out of the corner of my eye, that Jasper was holding onto Alice with a death grip. Her eyes were blank and she was staring into space. Great, another damn vision that we'll all have to bow to. Edward collapsed to his knees, holding his head in his hands. He must have read her thoughts and seen whatever vision she was having. The sight did nothing to quell my anger. Up until now, I'd never had to worry about being angry with him. In the beginning I was so happy to have him back that I let him get away with making all the choices, hanging on to me every moment because he had convinced me it was "for my own good." It was only recently that I began to realize that he had no idea what was good for me and I had started to realize that, well, that he was not good for me. I hated to use the same words that he broke me with so many months ago, but it was the truth. And I was done hiding behind the fantasy of a perfect romance with a being that I once thought never to exist. I was done allowing him to control me like I was his puppet and he held the strings. As I stood there watching him with his head in his hands, kneeling on the floor, I almost felt my body convulse with a jolt as the shock of my revelation set in... I was, just, done.

"My love, what are you saying? Alice, what does this mean. Someone, tell me what's going on!" Still stuck on stupid, he got back to his feet and tried to pull me into his arms but I backed away. "Darling, you're angry. Let's not make any rash decisions. Esme will make you some tea, you'll calm down, and we'll discuss what just happened rationally." The look of desperation in his eyes that I recognized from when he was gone and I myself carried that same look, almost cracked me, but I knew I was no longer the weak person I'd let him turn me into over these past weeks. Hearing him call me 'love' and listening to him talk down to me like that just made me want to crawl out of my skin. I stood strong and looked into his eyes and said the words I never thought would pass my lips.

"Edward, I'm saying this is over. I'm saying that I choose to live, really live." I heard Rosalie gasp, but the rest of the family was looking at me, their expressions something I never expected and looked out of place for the situation. As my eyes traveled over their faces, I saw many different things. I did see sadness and pain and shock, but I also still saw love, and, relief? And from the person I least expected it from, awe. For the first time, Rosalie was not looking at me with poorly hidden contempt. She looked at me with wonder, and envy.

"Love, you can't mean that. We were meant to be together, we're soulmates! I can't exist without you! Whatever this is we'll fix it, I'll fix it!" I held up my hand to stop him from speaking. He grabbed it and was stroking circles on my palm, trying to placate me, but I didn't need that. I needed to leave. I needed to get away from him. I found myself surprised that I couldn't stand the feel of his cold marble skin on mine. "Bella, love, please, what's changed? We can go back to the way it was. Just please don't give up on us, on our eternity!"

I looked at him, cringing at the fact that I found it so difficult to feel sympathy for the broken man in front of me. "Edward, I just can't do it anymore. I'm done. I don't know how to fix this and I swear to God, you don't either. But, deep down you know as well as I do that 'we' and 'I' don't need fixing." Edward dropped to his knees again, letting out a tearless sob. "You've changed and so have I. And I can't go back. I may be human but I've realized that I am not pathetic or weak. I don't need a keeper and that is exactly what you've made yourself. I can't live, nor can I 'exist' like that. I'm sorry to be the one causing pain like I went through when you left, but I can't bring myself to be sorry for the decision I've made. I won't ask any promises of you, but I do hope that you will eventually be able to move on. I can only hope that you do not tear yourself away from your family again. They love you and they will help you through this. Let them help you through this." I looked at the members of the family I thought at one time was going to be mine and saw that they would not abandon him, nor would they let him abandon himself. They had all seemed to steel themselves with an unwavering resolve. I looked down at my left hand and slowly removed Elizabeth Mason's ring. I crouched down to where he was kneeling and tried not to shudder as I took his cold hand, placed his mother's ring in his palm, and gently closed his fingers over it.

"Edward, someday you will find someone who will wear this ring with pride and be able to give themselves fully to you. But, I just can't be that person." I turned to face his family for what I realized could be the last time. "Please, take care of yourselves, and take care of Edward." With those final words, I walked out the door.

EPOV

I can't believe this. The love of my life, no, my existence just walked out the door. And I let her. My god, what have I done?

Esme came over to me and put her arms around me protectively as only a mother can do. I was shaking with sobs, cursing that no tears would fall, no release from this anguish would come. Esme rocked me soothingly, rubbing circles on my back. I didn't think I could take this pain again. My cursed existence had taken an impossible turn for the worse. I had not had the strength to pull myself out of my despair the last time we were apart, and I had no idea how I would do it now.

For all the curses of this so called life, I had one thing to be thankful for. My expansive vampire mind was processing the previous events at its own alarming rate. I thought back to every memory I had of Bella and I, every action, every decision I'd made. I was loathe to admit that she was absolutely right. I had been so selfish to try to contain her, to hide the capacity for love that she had away from the world. Her uniqueness is what attracted me to her in the first place, her selflessness is what kept me devoted to her. I knew in that moment that the world would be a better place with her still in it, still LIVING. I had to admit to myself that she had finally made the decision that I had worked so hard to get her to make. She was going to live. She was going to breathe. She was going to hopefully go off to college of her own free will, and succeed there due to her own hard work. She would eventually marry, have children and grandchildren, grow old, and yes, someday die. I had to admit that Bella Swan had finally taken the control she needed to continue her life as it should be. She had spoken briefly of hope. For all my admiration of her, I knew that I could not let her down. I knew that I had to try to fulfull whatever hopes she still had for me. For the humanity that she had blessed me with for the short time we were together, I knew I owed her that much.

I don't know how long I sat there. I only know that when I looked up, the sun was coming up. A new day was upon me, a new dawn was breaking.

* * *

**A/N**

Whew! Tell me what you think. I was getting all mad writing it, hope you guys felt that while you were reading it. There are a million ways I could go with this story, but I have a few ideas set in my head. I'm not really planning, just sitting down and writing. I love stories where Edward loses Bella and goes all crazy and sadistic, but I don't think I will go that way here. You will see more of Edward and the pack will be a HUGE part of this story.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I still own nothing. Meyer does.

A/N I know the first chapter ended with Edward starting a new day, but I wanted to get his POV in before Bella made it to the bonfire and I felt that chapter, at least from Bella's POV, needed to end there.

Chapter 2: Now what?

I walked out. Oh my god, I walked out.

As I walked down the front steps and into the driveway I realized what a stupid move that was. Not because I had left Edward, but because he had driven me here and I had no way to get home. Oh well, at least the walk will give me time to think, if Victoria doesn't catch me first. I laughed sarcastically to myself and set off down the Cullen's long driveway. I thought about calling Jacob but figured he'd be busy getting ready for the bonfire. I knew I couldn't call Charlie because he was working late tonight. Just as I was finishing that thought, a red BMW pulled up beside me with Rosalie at the wheel.

"Bella, get in." I hestitated for a moment before she said, "Come on, I'm not gonna eat you. You don't really think you can walk to your house from here, do you? You and my brother may be over, but he could never live with himself if Victoria picked you up on the side of the road like some cheesy hitch hiker horror flick." With that, I got in the car, secretly glad that she had stopped.

Rosalie sighed and began what I figured was going to be a lecture. "What just happened in there? I know I've been gunning for your humanity, but girl, that was unreal!" I was honestly still reeling from the events that occurred just moments ago. While I didn't regret it in the least, my brain was still processing the fact that I had left Edward. I had left Edward hurting and broken and didn't look back. I walked out of that house, no apologies, no lame excuses. I had left Edward.

Oh my God.

"I left Edward."

"I left Edward."

"I..... LEFT..... EDWARD!" I felt like I had to keep saying it because it didn't seem real. I felt like at any moment he was going to appear and use his charm to talk me out of yet another decision. But that didn't happen. Rosalie kept driving and Edward was nowhere in sight. He let me leave. He let me walk out. I left Edward.

Rosalie chuckled and said, "Yes Bella, you left Edward. Look, I know we've never been close but I have to tell you how proud I am of you. Even though my brother is hurting right now, for once, you stood your ground. You didn't back down. For once, you fought for your humanity. You did what I never got a chance to do. I will always respect you for that."

I took in what Rosalie had just said and couldn't help the pride that swelled within me. With all that has happened recently, with everything that has been taken out of my hands, I finally felt in control. It was a good feeling.

"I think I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. I don't regret it at all. And I don't really know what happened. I just know that he started treating me like a child and I snapped. I couldn't take it anymore. It was like my future flashed before my eyes and I knew. I just knew that even after I was changed he would never be able to accept the fact that I can take care of myself. I can't imagine spending an eternity being coddled, never being allowed to make my own decisions. But worse, I couldn't imagine always feeling like what I thought and felt was wrong. He got me to second guess myself all the time and there is no way I could spend an eternity doing that." I began to shake as the reality of what just happened set in. Everything I had just told Rosalie was true. I couldn't live like that. I had not been raised to be submissive to a man. I had been raised to be my own person, to have my own ideas. And I knew I would finally get that chance.

We were pulling up in front of my house. Rosalie turned to face me and said, "Bella, just please promise me something. Don't come back to him. I know you may be in shock after what's happened tonight. This may hit you like a ton of bricks in the morning, but please, know that you made the right decision. He may not believe it now, but he will be fine. We, his family, will see to that. But what are you going to do now?" I thought for a moment. I wasn't really sure. I felt like I was finally free to live like a normal 18 year old.

"I don't know Rosalie. I guess I'm just going to live one day at a time. Probably go to college like most normal people my age do."

Rosalie smiled softly and said, "I think that's a perfect plan. You may not be with my brother anymore, but if you ever need anything, anything at all, please call me." She took my cell phone out of my hand and punched her number into it. After that she did something which shocked me to my core. She pulled me in for a hug.

"Thank You, Rosalie. I don't think I can ever repay your family for the kindness they've shown me. Please let them know that I still care for them and appreciate everything they've done for me."

"I will Bella. Now go live." With that, I got out of the car and made my way into the house. Looking at the clock, I realized I was going to be late for the bonfire. I called Jacob's cell phone, hoping he had it turned on and that he hadn't given up on me.

"Hello"

"Hi Jake, it's Bella. Look, I know I'm late, but is the bonfire still on? I could really use a night out."

"Really, you mean the lee--, I mean Edward is letting you out of your playpen for your own party? How nice of him."

"Jacob, don't start with that. It's a long story which I promise to tell you, but I just wanted to let you know I was on my way."

"Ok, fine, we're all here. But you better hurry before all the food's gone. You know us, bottomless pits and all."

I laughed and replied,"Oh, I know, I'm on my way."

I hung up the phone, got into my trusty Chevy, and headed for La Push. I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I couldn't understand how I could feel that way. I hadn't even shed one tear yet. Wasn't I madly in love with Edward just yesterday? True love like that can't just be turned on and off like a light switch, can it? But then, maybe it was never true love at all. Maybe it was just an intense infatuation, a huge crush. No, it wasn't only a crush. It was... an obsession. I realized again that I had become obsessed with the idea of Edward. It was the fantasy, live forever with an immortal creature that only exists in fairy tales, or more specifically, nightmares. He once told me that I was his brand of heroine. In that moment, I understood. He was mine. We were both junkies living for the rush, the high that came with partaking in something so forbidden. That thought alone let me know that I could really be at peace with my decision. Rosalie may be right. It may hit me like a ton of bricks in the morning. But, for this moment, I had peace, something that I hadn't had in a long time.

Before I knew it, I was pulling up to First Beach. I could see the glow from the bonfire and I could hear the raucous laughter of the pack. I jumped out of my truck and started walking towards them. My other family, my other home.

As I walked onto the beach, Jacob came running over to me, trapping me in one of my favorite hugs.

"Bells, I'm so glad you made it! Hey everyone! The guest of honor is here!" I was greeted by the hoots and hollars of some of my favorite people in the world. Emily walked over to me once Jacob had put me down and gave me a much softer hug.

"Bella, I'm so glad you could make it, come with me and grab some food before these wolves beat you to it."

"Thanks, Emily. I'll be there in a sec." Jacob looked at me with questioning eyes and asked, "So, what is this long story you had to tell me? What alternate universe am I living in where Edward lets you come to La Push to hang with us?"

I took a deep breath. The pack had gone silent, waiting for my answer. Jacob looked ready to jump out of his skin in anticipation.

"It's no alternate universe, Jacob. I left Edward. We're finished."

The pack let out a collective gasp. Jacob's jaw hit the ground. He was staring at me like I'd just given him the best gift in the world. No, it was more than that. He was looking at me like he was seeing me for the first time. And he wasn't looking away.

* * *

A/N

I guess that's as good a place as any to end this chapter. It was a lot of filler but I felt Rosalie needed to be in there somewhere. Alice's vision will eventually be revealed, and more details on Jacob's reaction. Did he imprint? Is he just shocked? You will all have to wait to find out! :) Let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**: Meyer still owns it (Stephanie, that is)

**A/N: I got my first two reviews today! I'm so excited! Thanks for the support. I've gotta put some filler stuff in, but it will start to get better.**

**Chapter 3.** Let me Get a Word In

Jacob snapped out of it and led me over to a log by the fire. The volume of the pack had gone from zero to a hundred in a split second. I could hear everything from "congratulations" to "what did he do." I looked over at Billy and he gave me a hesitant smile. I figured I needed to put him at ease so I went over to him and gave him a hug.

"Billy, I've really left him, and it's for good this time." I could have sworn I saw tears well up in his eyes. This man had been like a second father to me. I knew it killed him to have the knowledge of my life that he did, and not be able to breathe a single word of it to Charlie. Honestly, I don't know how he did it. But I guess when you are keeping a secret that goes back generations you don't really have a choice. He gently grabbed my face with his weathered hands and said, "I know Bella, I can see it in your face, in your eyes. It's been a long time since I've seen that fire of yours. I'm glad you're not letting anyone put it out." With that he gave me a kiss on the forehead and shooed me off to join the rest of the pack.

The pack. Wow, the conclusions they were coming to were cracking me up. Paul thought Edward confessed to me that he had a vampire love child somewhere in Michigan that he was supporting. Staying along those lines, Jared jumped in with the idea that Edward had knocked up Jessica Stanley and wanted to marry both of us in some "Big Love" kind of fantasy. Could vampires even have kids? I didn't really want to know. Quil, Embry, Seth, Collin and Brady began pulling money out. They were shouting so much that their voices were all running together so I couldn't really tell what exactly they were betting on. Sam sat there with Billy, watching the whole thing with an amused smirk on his face. Jacob stayed by my side, his hand on the small of my back, and stayed silent the whole time. I figured he thought it was too good to be true so I knew I had to reassure him, and the pack, that I was no longer a vamp girl.

I stood up on my log shouting, "Hey hey hey! If you would all shut your pie-holes for two minutes I would tell you what happened!" Now the whole pack's jaws were hanging open. I'd never really spoken to them like that, always staying off to the side with Jacob or Emily. Hey, I was tired of never being heard. I had to do something, right?

"Okay, yes, I broke up with Edward tonight. No, I'm not going to go throw myself off a cliff because of it. I'm sure you've all seen through Jacob that he wasn't exactly the most, um, lenient of boyfriends. I got tired of being controlled and I left, end of story. Now can we please eat? I'm starving!" Something must be wrong with them. I mentioned food and nobody moved. They only started murmuring amongst themselves, which was driving me nuts. But I did notice that Embry, Seth, Collin, and Brady were all handing money over to Quil. Guess he won the bet.

"Excuse me guys, if you're going to talk about me, either let me hear it, or wait till I'm not around." This got a few laughs. Quill came up to me and gave me a huge hug, adding "It's good to have you back, Bells. Now Jacob will finally stop moping." I gave him a playful, though not too hard, swat on the arm and sat back down next to Jacob. He put an arm around me, tucking me into his side. I could tell something was bothering him, like he didn't really believe this was happening. I looked up at him, gave him my warmest smile and mouthed "later." He seemed satisfied with that as he let out a sigh of relief and went over to the food table. At that point Sam walked over to me. I could tell he was waiting for the other shoe to drop, most likely remembering how he had found me all those months ago. He put a hand on my shoulder and said, "Bella, if you think you're going to be okay with this, know that the pack will support you 110%. You're part of us now. If you ever need anything, all you have to do is ask."

I put my hand over his and replied, "I really think I'm going to be okay this time. The situation is a lot different, and had I known then what I know now, well, let's just say there would have been a better outcome the last time." He smiled down at me, gave my shoulder a squeeze and went back to sit with Emily, who was smiling at me like the cat that caught the canary. I wondered what was going on with her, but at that moment Jacob came back with two plates piled high with food. I started laughing and told him there was no way I could eat all that. He just shrugged and said, "Well then I'll just have to finish it for you." He gave me a smile, my smile, and plowed into his food.

The pack was still buzzing about my news. Sam's expression had changed to one of concern, which kind of had me worried. Paul finally decided to speak up and let me know what the pack had been clucking about like mother hens. I noticed he was shaking the slightest bit. Uh oh, this can't be good.

"Bella, I don't mean to be the insensitive prick here, but shouldn't you have waited until we knew what Victoria had planned before you walked out on the Cullen's? As much as I can't stand them, I mean, they did promise to help us out and we knew we didn't have to worry about the treaty, but now, I don't know, all bets might be off. What if Victoria has something big planned? What if Eddie boy goes all crazy and breaks the treaty to get you back? What if you lose it again and go running back to him? What if..." He was cut off by Jacob hitting him between the eyes with a hot dog.

"Paul, just shut it. Bella doesn't need to worry about all that right now." I quirked my eyebrow at Jacob. I was thinking to myself, 'oh, hell no, he didn't just speak for me.'

"Jacob, it's fine. He has every right to be concerned. All I can say is that I promise, with everything I have, that I will not go back to him. You all have no reason to trust me but I will do whatever it takes to earn that back. That's the best I can offer. Edward won't go all crazy, I'm sure his family will keep him in check. As far as Victoria, I have no clue what to tell you." My last statement didn't exactly instill confidence in them but I didn't know what else to say. How was I supposed to know what Victoria was going to do? Okay, I have to admit, still being in Alice's good graces would come in extremely handy right now. Billy saved me by putting his two cents in.

"Hey now everyone, this is supposed to be a celebration for Bella, who will be graduating high school in less than a week. For now I think it best that we just be thankful we are all here at this time safe and sound." I smiled over at him with a silent thank you. Quil piped up, raising his soda, "Here, here! To Bella! And here's hoping she doesn't trip over her graduation gown and do a face plant in front of the whole school, their parents, siblings, friends...." Sam reached over and slapped him on the back of the head before he could list anyone else. As if I needed to worry about that now. I tried to stare daggers at him, but I just couldn't be mad and burst out laughing. They were all like the goofy older brothers I never had and I loved them.

The evening continued on that way. Everyone joked, laughed, some of the guys even started dancing. I don't know who they were trying to impress. The werewolf gene didn't help some of them out in that department. They almost looked as uncoordinated as I did when I tried dancing. I had been laughing and smiling so much that my cheeks were sore and my sides were starting to hurt. While everyone was preoccupied watching Embry's sad attempt at the Macarena, Jacob leaned over to whisper in my ear.

"How about we go for a walk on the beach?" I couldn't have agreed more and jumped up, grabbing his had, pulling him along with me. Well, I pulled and he humored me by coming along. There was no way I could move a mountain of a man like Jacob, but he let me think I could once in a while.

We approached our log and sat down, looking out over the ocean. There was a full moon out and the stars were shining as bright as could be. In spite of everything that happened, it just didn't get any better than this. We sat in silence for a while until Jacob finally broke it.

"Bells, what happened tonight? Are you sure you're okay? I know you said you were fine, but come on, you haven't really ever been able to let go of him."

I took a deep breath and grabbed his hand. I felt a spark of electricity that I hadn't felt since Edward first caressed my cheek. That was definitely weird. I had to put Jacob at ease.

"It actually started with the bonfire. You weren't that far off when you asked why he let me out of the playpen to come here. He was absolutely refusing to allow me to go tonight. I couldn't believe it Jake, he was talking to me like I was a child. I thought back to all the times I'd wanted to do anything, or even things I didn't want to do. He always made me do what he thought was best. The prom? I mean, come on, you know as well as I do that's not my thing. If I wasn't with Edward I would have never gone. But that didn't matter to him. Even when he left me. That was his decision, not mine. I had no say. And when he came back it was the same. He knew that I wanted to become like him, but instead of accepting my choice, he gave me an ultimatum. One that I was never completely sure he would hold up to. I mean, really, telling me he'll only change me if I'll become his wife first? That is seriously messed up."

Jacob began shaking and growling. He still had a hard time with the fact that I had wanted, with my whole heart, to become a "leech." I squeezed his hand reassuringly. "Jake, you don't have to worry about that now." The shaking and growling stopped and he gave me a tentative smile.

"Sorry Bells, you know what I thought about your wishes. I'm just glad that you've finally smartened up about it." I let go of his hand to entangle my arm with his and rest my head on his shoulder.

"Anyway, tonight when he was forbidding me to come here, I snapped. I lost it. I could see my entire future with him and it wasn't a pretty sight. Being someone's pet is never how I imagined my life being. So, I told him I couldn't do it anymore. I gave him back his mother's engagement ring and walked out. Just like that."

Jake let out a breath. "Wow, I have to say I'm proud of you. I could see the change in you as soon as you walked onto the beach. How did the rest of the family take it?"

"I think most of them were in shock. But I don't think they hold any ill will towards me. Of course I haven't talked to them either. Except for Rosalie. She gave me a ride back to my house so I could pick up my truck. God, you'd think I could have waited until I had my own transportation to go all strong and crazy on him. I had actually started walking home when she picked me up." I started to laugh but Jacob didn't look amused at all.

"Bella, do you know what could have happened to you? You know as well as I do what kind of nightmares are lurking in the forests at night, never mind the fact that red headed bitch is still after you." He was shaking his head in disbelief but I could tell he was relieved that nothing had happened to me. Jacob, always the protector.

"Jake, I know, and I did think of that. Apparently so did Rosalie. She told me she was proud of me for doing the one thing she never had a chance to do."

"And what's that?" Jacob asked, raising his eyebrow.

"I fought for my humanity. Rosalie had told me her story a while back, about how she was changed. It wasn't pretty. I know she loves Emmett but I think if she could go back she wouldn't have wanted to be changed. It's kind of a catch 22 for her. Anyway, she told me if I ever needed anything to call her. Shocked the hell out of me too."

"Well, you may need to. With Alice's fuzzy visions that she was getting before we still don't know what Victoria has planned. Jeez Bells, Paul was right. Couldn't you have waited to dump his ass until we knew what was going on?"

He was looking at me with my favorite smile. I nudged his shoulder playfully and replied, "Ya, well, I still need to see them for the last couple days of school before graduation. That's if they even show up. I have no idea what went on in that house after I left, so who knows."

"Ya, school's not going to be awkward for you at all is it?" Jacob was shaking again, but this time with laughter. I think I had done a pretty good job of convincing him I was okay. Because, in reality, I was.

"So what are you going to do now, honey? This is a pretty big step for you. Are you sure I won't find you curled up in a ball, all catatonic tomorrow?"

I let out a giggle and said, "No, really, I think I'm going to be fine. He was... an addiction. You were right about that. And what am I going to do now? I don't know, just get through graduation first. When that's over with, I'll deal with the next thing that comes along. One day at a time. Isn't that how life is supposed to be?"

He put his arms around me and pulled me in for a hug. "Yes Bells, that's how it's supposed to be. Just living, one day at a time... not decades like, ehem, some people you know."

I chuckled at the thought of years feeling like only minutes, a lifetime's worth of experiences going by in what felt like the blink of an eye. Nope, that was not what I wanted.

Jake quickly let go of me and reached into his pocket. "I almost forgot, I got you a graduation present." I raised my eyebrows at him, trying to put on my most bad-ass face ever, but it didn't work.

"Come on, Bells, I made it. I didn't buy it, here." He opened up his hand and in the palm was a delicate braided bracelet. Hanging from the bracelet was a wolf charm.

"Oh God, Jake it's beautiful, you made this?" I held my wrist out, hinting at him to help me put it on. He fastened it around my wrist and said, "Ya, it's something my dad taught me how to do."

"I couldn't love any gift more, it's perfect." I reached up around his massive shoulders and gave him the tightest hug I could manage.

"Well, I'm glad you like it. Now lets get back to the fire before they all start gossiping like little old ladies." He pulled me to my feet and we went back to join the others. There were only a few people left. Leah had shown up after she got done with her patrol. She was looking at me like she always did, with hatred and annoyance, but I didn't let it bother me.

Since it was getting late and I was a little tired from the backbone that I had grown tonight, I said goodnight to everyone and made my way home. Charlie was just getting home from the station. I gave him a hug and kissed his cheek, thankful that I wouldn't have to say goodbye to him until it was naturally time. Tomorrow I would explain about the break up, but for now I just wanted to go to sleep. Tomorrow started the first day of my new life. When I got to my room I closed my window and locked the latch. The finality of that action set in. But instead of upset, I took a deep breath, content that I had made the right choice. Whatever Victoria, the Volturi, or life in general, threw at me I knew I'd be able to face it head on.

**JPOV**

I hung up the phone with Bella and went back to helping stack the firewood for tonight. Before long I heard her old beast of a truck pulling up to the beach. I was so happy that leech let her out of his sight so she could come here to celebrate. It wasn't going to be anything fancy like I knew they would try to throw her, but I knew this is what she liked and she would be happy just hanging out with everyone. I know there was a time when La Push was her favorite place to be. I just hoped that it could be like that again someday. I would never give up hope.

I had to give her a little bit of a hard time about her actually being allowed to come here. When she announced that they had broken up I was in shock. I could feel my jaw just about hit the ground. All of a sudden there was an unbelievable pull on my chest, pulling me towards her, linking me to her. I didn't understand what was going on. This couldn't be imprinting, could it? I mean, I've know her for so long, spent so much time with her since my transformation. But I couldn't deny the feeling. My heart was linked to hers with a force so much greater than it already had been. I had to be close to her, had to be near her, touching her.

I shook my head. After what she had been through tonight, I knew revealing what just happened would scare the crap out of her. I would have to ask Sam or my dad what they thought about it later.

It was like there was a whole new Bella sitting beside me. She had given my dad a hug, she stood up to the pack and didn't let them get to her. She never blushed once the whole night either. And later when we were talking about her break up with Edward she never shed one tear. I hoped this wasn't the calm before the storm. But I knew whatever she needed, I was going to be there. No leech could stop me from that.

* * *

**A/N: Well, I've decided, I hate writing fillers. This chapter bit the big one to write. Graduation is coming up, along with Victoria. And for those of you wondering if Jake really did imprint, well, you'll find that out sooner or later too :)**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Sigh, I still don't own Twilight, or it's characters.

**A/N: Thanks so much to those of you who have reviewed and added this story to your favorites and alerts!**

Chapter 4:

The morning after the bonfire I woke up pretty early. The sun was just coming up. I heard Charlie getting up,most likely to start an another "intense" day of fishing, and I decided to send him off with a good breakfast. I jumped out of bed and ran downstairs.

"You're up kind of early for a Sunday, aren't you?" I gave him a hug and replied, "Just wanted to send you off with a full belly. Pancakes okay?"

He raised his eyebrows, most likely a little surprised by the hug and my offer of breakfast. Charlie and I had never been the type to show affection, even though we both knew we loved each other very much. But the fact that I now knew I wouldn't have to say goodbye to him before it was time just made me appreciate him even more. I got together the ingredients and started making his breakfast.

"Well, I did need to speak with you about something." I took a deep breath and came out with it.

"Edward and I broke up last night." He took a slow sip of his coffee and put it back down on the table, wrapping his hands around the mug. It was as if he was trying to draw out it's warmth to give him strength to go through another phase like I had gone through the last time. "Dad, I know what you're thinking, but I'm really going to be okay. I ended it with him. I was the one to break up with him." He took a deep breath. The seconds seemed to tick by endlessly slow. Seconds turned to minutes. He finally decided to speak when I put his plate of pancakes down in front of him.

"Bells, if you say you're going to be okay, I trust you. Mind telling me what happened?" Since Charlie and I also were not the kind to share unnecessary details, I figured short and sweet would be better.

"Well, I realized that we wanted different things, that we had different ideas about how the relationship should be. It wasn't going to work and I figured I had to end it before it got even messier. But, I promise you, I'm okay." I grabbed his hand across the table and squeezed it for reassurance. He smiled at me and said, "Okay then. Well, the fish are biting and the early bird gets the worm, or, the fish I guess." He got up from the table, grabbed his gear and started for the door. Before walking out, he turned around and said, "Love you Bells." I smiled at him and replied, "Love you too Dad."

After cleaning up after breakfast, taking my shower, and finishing my laundry, I was at a loss for something to do. I looked at the scrapbook sitting on my desk. Wanting to avoid a breakdown, I figured this was as good a time as any to really say goodbye to that phase of my life. I started going through the pictures of Edward and I. A few silent tears made their way down my cheeks. For everything our relationship was or wasn't, we had shared a lot, gone through a lot. But deep down I knew that both of us would be better off in the long run. I pulled the pictures out of the book and put them in a shoebox with my other old pictures. It was time to fill that book with pictures from the new life I was starting.

Just then my phone rang. It was Jacob, wanting to hang out at the beach. I headed toward La Push and spent the day relaxing with Jake, throwing stones into the ocean, laughing with the pack at Emily's. It was a great day and I was happy when I went to bed that night. I was surprised to admit that I actually enjoyed being able to stretch out on my tiny bed, alone.

Morning came soon enough and I headed off to school. When I pulled into the parking lot I saw Edward's car parked in his usual spot. He was standing there with Alice. I was happy to see that he almost looked as okay as I did. He made no move to approach, just gave me a smile and a wave. I walked into the building and headed to my first class. I had English with Alice, and since finals were over, we were pretty much left to talk for the whole period. Alice started the conversation that I had been dreading just a little bit.

"Bella we all want you to know that none of us hold any hard feelings. We still love you and will still support you through the whole Victoria mess." I smiled in relief and replied, "Thank you Alice, that means a lot to me." I didn't want to ask the question that really had been burning in my mind. Of course, even though I had toughened up a bit, she could still read me like a book. Or maybe it was her ability to see the future, but she answered my unasked question none the less.

"Edward is actually okay. That first night was really rough, but it's to be expected. We usually don't weather change very well, but I think he's come to terms with the mistakes that he's made. He's accepted the consequences of his actions and just wants you to be happy." Even though I had put on that tough little show at their house the other night, I was relieved. As angry as I was, I didn't wish him any ill will. God, still thinking of everyone else, wasn't I? I was still curious about the vision she had during the whole scene at their house. As if she could read my mind, she went on.

"That night when you decided to break up with him I saw only small glimpses of your future. Some of them were hazy but, you were happy and you were human. You were also on a beach. I think we both know which beach I'm talking about." She gave me that sly-little-devil smile of hers.

"Alice, just because I was probably on First Beach doesn't mean that I end up with the wolves. I could have just been there for, I don't know, a picnic or something." I started giggling. She really did think she knew everything. But if I couldn't decide what my future held, I didn't think there was any way she could know for sure either.

"I also wanted to let you know that Edward won't try to approach you today. He won't do anything to make you uncomfortable. For the classes that you have together, he's arranged with the office to help out with the graduation preparations so you won't have deal with him." Well, wasn't he just the perfect little brown nose? I was secretly glad I wouldn't have to face him today. I didn't want to lose my temper and cause a scene at the school, nor did I want him begging me to come back to him. Boy, I really think a lot of myself, don't I? How was I to know he even wanted me back? I started to chastise myself. _Bella, stop, you are an incredible person and any guy would be lucky to have you. _Yup, okay, as long as it wasn't Edward.

"The other thing I needed to let you know is that I've had a vision about what Victoria's plan is. We'll be meeting with the pack tonight at the border to go over it with them. We don't have a lot of time to prepare but we will need each others help to have everyone come out of this alive."

"What time are you meeting? I'll call Jacob to see if he can bring me."

"I'm sorry Bella, but you can't come. You can't know anything that's going to happen. I know being kept in the dark is one of the things you hate the most, especially when it involves your life. But trust me, I've gone over and over this, and the only way there is a good outcome is if you are not involved. Trust me when I tell you this, your life, that of the pack, my family, depends on this. If there was another way I would tell you. I would have you right there with us." I got that uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. All the people I love were going to fight for me and I couldn't know a thing about it? This was so not fair. I wanted to be there with them. I knew that in my weak human state there wasn't anything I could really do, but I wouldn't be able to stand wondering what was happening to them. It had begun to irritate me to no end, the amount of faith the Cullens put in Alice's visions. But how could I gamble with the lives of everyone I love? I sighed in resignation.

"I guess I have to trust you. If you are telling me that this is the only way that everyone will make it out alive, you leave me no choice but to go along with it. But don't think that I like it. From what you've told me, it sounds like she's planning something big. Maybe I don't want to know, maybe I do. You realize this kind of thing drives me crazy right?"

She laughed and said "I know, I know. Now, on to brighter topics. You really aren't planning on wearing _that _for graduation, are you?" I shook my head at her as the bell rang and we headed off for our next class.

**APOV**

The visions I had been having were disturbing to say the least. Victoria had amassed an army of newborns and was intent on taking everyone down. Bella, the pack, my family. I knew Bella wanted to be there. Her subconscious had decided that she would follow us into battle if she knew about it. I had seen that if she was there, it would be too much of a distraction for my family and the pack. I knew they couldn't worry about protecting her. We had to take her completely out of the equation. We had to keep from her the fact that this would all be happening two days after graduation. Jasper had already decided that he would train the wolves to fight newborns and I had seen that they would go along with it. Well, I hadn't been able to see directly, but I saw us in the baseball clearing sparring with something unknown. I also knew that somehow, we had to get Bella's scent in the clearing to attract Victoria and her army there. Maybe a baseball game before everything went down? I saw that she would go along with that. As much as I was just _dying _to throw _the _graduation party of the century, I also knew how much she hated things like that.

It would be perfect. I had seen that there would be thunder storm the night of graduation and that she would, although reluctantly, go along with that plan.

But then there was also the issue of the Volturi. Edward and I had promised she would become like us or they would kill her. They played into this scene somehow, but they had not made up their minds as to what the outcome would be. That made me nervous. What also made me nervous was the fact that I couldn't see Edward staying with the family after the battle. I knew he would survive, but beyond that I had no idea.

I knew that in less than a week, it would all be over with in one way or another.

**BPOV**

The rest of the school day passed uneventfully, save for some astonished looks from Jessica Stanley and Lauren Mallory when Edward and I avoided each other in the cafeteria. One look at Jessica and I was struck with a visual of Jared's theory of why Edward and I broke up and I burst into a fit of laughter. Jessica just glared at me, not knowing why I was looking at her in complete hysterics. True to Alice's word, Edward had avoided the classes we had together to help out with graduation. Ugh, he must have "dazzled" Mrs. Cope to get them to allow that. When I got out to my truck at the end of the day, I noticed his Volvo was already gone, but there was an envelope stuck underneath my windshield. I would recognize that perfect script anywhere.

_Dearest Bella,_

_I wanted you to know that you were right. I have been completely unfair to you. In trying to protect you I pushed you away, something I swore I would never do._

_I will not try to win you back. I have done a lot of thinking since that night and I have to say that I am proud of you. I hold no hard feelings for you and, believe it or not, hope that one day we can be friends. I always thought that I could not exist without you in my life. But I have come to realize that allowing you to live your own life will be the best way to honor you and the memories of our time together. You have helped me to learn how to be a better man and I will be forever grateful for that. _

_I will miss you. I will miss the peace that you offered my mind. I will miss your warmth, your smile, your blush. But knowing that the world will continue on, with you actively in it, makes that all worthwhile. You are an amazing person. Your ability to love, your stubbornness, your selflessness, all of the little things that make you who you are will not be lost to you. That is something that since the other night, I had come to fear would happen if you had married me. I take comfort in knowing that someday you will grace someone else with your love, for you are able to love so fully and completely. I know that I cannot continue to be selfish and keep that love for my self. I have no right to ask anything of you, but I wish that you would promise me to never lose sight of yourself. Do not allow yourself to be lost in some other person the way you began to lose yourself in me. _

_I will be okay. I know now, that there must be some purpose to me having to walk the earth for an eternity. I have finally come to believe you, that I do have a soul. If I didn't, I would not have been able love you as fully as I did. Take care of yourself. And grasp this gift, life, with both hands and never let it go._

_Fondly,_

_Edward_

What? Fondly?! Are you kidding me? Well, what did I expect? I did break the man without a second thought. But I was strangely comforted by this letter and knew in my heart that he wouldn't do something stupid again, like run to the Volturi to get himself killed. Oh no, the Volturi. What the hell am I going to do about that? Well, that was a problem for another day.

I started my truck and drove off. There was only one place I wanted to be right now and it felt like my truck was driving itself there, like it was being pulled by some unknown force. I anxiously made the drive to La Push, where I knew my Jacob would be.

The next few days leading up to graduation were pretty uneventful. I don't really know why we even had to go to school since we weren't really doing anything anyway. On Tuesday, my class staged the traditional "Senior Skip Day." At first I was going to hang out with Jacob in La Push, but I remembered that he still had school so I'd end up on my own. I ended up heading to Port Angeles with Angela, along with pretty much the whole class. We basically took over an arcade and spent the day there glued to video games and laughing like crazy. It was a great day to blow off some steam and I was actually kind of glad to spend the day with my classmates, doing something totally useless that had no purpose. Before I knew it, the morning of graduation was upon me.

I reached into my closet, wondering what Alice had seen me wearing. Well, I wasn't going to try to impress her. I mean, whatever I chose was going to be covered up with that tacky graduation gown anyway, right? I ended up settling on a pair of black dress pants, a red silk blouse, and some black leather shoes with just a small heel. I didn't really want Quil's little prediction to come true.

The ceremony was the usual. People speaking of the future, how we should jump head first into the unknown, blah, blah, blah. Quil's words from the bonfire wouldn't leave my head as I carefully proceeded across the stage to get that little piece of paper and walked back to my seat. To my surprise, the entire pack had shown up and made their presence known when I got my diploma. Ya gotta love those guys.

Charlie decided to take me out to dinner and Jacob and Billy came along with us. It was great, just relaxing with my family and celebrating an accomplishment that was all mine. Before we left graduation, Alice had suggested one last baseball game in the clearing, "for old time's sake." I didn't want to remind her that the "old times" she was speaking of involved me running from Victoria's sadistic mate and almost getting killed. But, I figured for all the times they had saved my life, I owed it to them, so I went. They even brought the bases in closer and let me hit a ball or two. Of course, being my clumsy self I tripped halfway when I was running to first base and skinned up my hands and knees pretty good. There was some blood, but they were all the perfect picture of control and Carlisle had me bandaged up before I knew it. Edward and I didn't really speak, but to my relief it wasn't awkward either. When the thunder storm finally moved in over us, we ended the night since none of them wanted to play lightning rod, seeing how one strike would turn them to ash. Although it did start a pretty fun argument between Emmett and Jasper about what humans should do during a storm... lie flat on the ground or stick your butt in the air. According to Emmett, if your going to get hit by lightning, which should travel through you, having the lightning enter your butt was safest route. Wow, poor Rosalie.

When I went to bed that night, it was again with a contented sigh. High school was behind me and I was thrilled that I wouldn't have to do it over and over again for eternity. Whatever Victoria had coming was still plaguing the back of my mind, but sleep soon turned into a blissful escape from that. Little did I know, no matter what Alice had seen, I wouldn't be able to avoid all of it.

**A/N: I know I sped through almost a whole week in one chapter, but I wanted to get it out of the way so I could get to the good stuff. At least now we know what Victoria's planning. Show me some love and I just may have the next chapter in Jacob's POV with a bit of an explanation of what went on. Oh, and who can tell me what movie Emmett's lightning theory comes from? I didn't use exact wording but hopefully you got the idea. Oh, and I don't own that either.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Nope, still don't own it.**

**A/N: Thanks so much to those of you who are still reviewing and adding it to your favorites and alerts. Sorry for the wait. I knew what I wanted to happen in this chapter, but I was just having a hard time putting it on paper. It skips back to the night of the bonfire, but I had to do it that way. Now, we all remember that Claire is Emily's niece, right? Right. I've got a lot to go through here so.... without further ado.... **

**Jacob's POV!  
**

Chapter 5:

Once we had everything cleaned up from the bonfire, I started to get ready for my patrol. Sam came over to me to tell me that he had gotten Embry to cover it for me.

"Jacob, I'm sure you have some questions about what happened tonight. Why don't we head over to your house and we can both discuss this with Billy. Jared and Quil will also be coming so we can have more than just my experience to compare it to." With that, we headed back to my house. I knew I was in for a long night. I already felt somehow a little emptier now that Bella was not right by my side.

After coffee had been passed out, we sat around my tiny kitchen table. I assumed Sam was waiting for me to start so I jumped right in. "I'm not really sure what happened. All I know is that when she told me it was over with the leech, I felt the pull. It felt just like what I've seen in your heads. But I can't figure out how this happened. It's what I've been wishing for since I transformed, but there are so many things that make me think this isn't real. I'm afraid it didn't really happen." Sam thought this over for a moment, as did Billy. Billy replied, "Why don't you go outside and phase so they know exactly what happened. Then we will be able to know for sure."

With that we all went outside and phased. I opened my mind up to them, letting them see exactly what happened at the bonfire and how I had been feeling since then. No other thoughts were exchanged and when I was done Sam gave the okay to phase back. We went back into the house where Billy was waiting.

"Well, what do you think, Sam?"

"I think he definitely imprinted, there's no doubt about it. The pull is there." Jared and Quil were nodding their heads in agreement. "Jacob, tell me, how do you feel right now?"

I huffed out a frustrated sigh, "Empty, like part of me is missing. I know she's just over in Forks, but I feel like if I'm not near her soon I'll go crazy. It almost physically hurts."

"That's the pull of the imprint. Now, the only reason I can come up with as to why it happened tonight is that maybe her heart wasn't fully available. She had to truly let go of the leech for the imprint to take effect."

I shook my head. "That doesn't make much sense. Shouldn't that work both ways? Sam, you imprinted while you were involved with someone else. You could say the same thing for you, that your heart wasn't available. If that's the case, you never should have imprinted on Emily." While Sam looked deep in thought, Quil decided to put his two cents in.

"I have a thought. You all know I imprinted on Claire, a two year old. What if Bella wasn't who Jacob was supposed to imprint on to begin with? What if there was someone else?"

I started shaking and glared at Quil. "What are you saying? That some mystical, cosmic force decided that Bella was, what, my second choice?" The thought of Bella coming in second to anyone was making me furious. There was nothing second place about her. She was perfect in every way.

"Man, that's exactly what I'm saying. Look, let me explain. At first we all thought it was really weird that I imprinted on a two year old. I would do anything for that little girl and even I think it's weird. But, I have to tell you guys. I remember going up to the Makah rez when I was a kid with my mother, even as recently as couple years ago. I remember seeing Emily's sister around and I was always intrigued by her. I thought it was just some little kid crush. The last time I was there was a little over two years ago. We went up there for a celebration. Emily's sister was pregnant and I couldn't keep my eyes off her. There was something that drew me to her but I still thought it was just a crush. What if that was fate's way of telling me that this woman was carrying something a little more special to me?"

Wow, I was even more confused. I hated to admit how stupid I was feeling but I still really had no idea what Quil was talking about. Seeing that I was nowhere near close to figuring it out, Quil growled, stood up, leaning on the table and said, "Jeez Jake, what if the reason you've been drawn to Bella all along without imprinting was because you were supposed to imprint on her yet-to-be-conceived child? And now that she broke it off with the leech, that child will not exist. This left you free to imprint on her!" Quil sat down with a huff of indignation. I couldn't believe it. Billy was actually nodding in agreement. I wasn't quite ready to accept that. It still didn't seem real and I was still waiting for the rug to get pulled out from under me.

"So what you're saying is, that Bella was supposed to have a_ kid _with the bloodsucker and I was going to imprint on a bloodsucker half breed? Not only does that seem a little far-fetched, but just, eww. I mean, can vampires even have children? And never mind all that, she's not Quileute. I thought that was sort of a shape shifter baby maker requirement?" Billy gave me the answer that I really didn't want to hear.

"Well, actually, there have been stories. There is the legend of the incubus, a male demon, or in this case, vampire, who has um, "relations" with human women, impregnating them. From what I've read, the mothers never survive the birth. The spirits have obviously seen some quality in Bella that would strengthen the bloodline, either through her directly, or, as Quil pointed out, her unborn child." I almost heaved at the thought of Bella dying giving birth to that bloodsucker's demon spawn. Knowing that they were engaged before she broke up with him just made me feel even sicker. Just as I was about to lose the 10 hot dogs I had eaten at the bonfire, my dad continued. "And as far as her not being Quileute, Jacob, you are the rightful alpha. Your bloodline is as strong as it gets. The spirits not only look for someone who will carry on that bloodline, but also someone that will make the wolf a stronger fighter, and a better man. You know that when it comes to Bella, this is true. I'm sure you all feel that way about your imprints."

Jared decided to finally join the party and make himself heard. "Didn't you once tell me that Edward was a mind reader and that he could read everyone's thoughts, except Bella's? What if that is some sort of defense mechanism that would have been strengthened in a child she would have with Edward? Now that she won't be having that child, the trait will still get passed on, just not amplified like it may have if you had imprinted on that child and continued the bloodline that way. And since the child will not exist, the spirits want that trait passed on in whatever way it can be. It's just like how that little fortune teller can't see our futures. This would just be another weapon in the, I don't know, shape shifter arsenal, I guess. But dude, have you ever heard the saying, 'don't look a gift horse in the mouth?' I think you should just be happy that you finally did imprint on her. I mean, she's all you've been thinking and talking about since, well, forever."

Sam nodded in agreement. "I think Jared's right. We could go around in circles on this forever. The bottom line is, the spirits do as they see fit. Jacob, don't make yourself crazy thinking about the why's and what if's. Just feel grateful that the spirits have finally blessed you with what you've been longing for since you can remember. You deserve it."

Billy yawned and wheeled himself away from the table with a smirk, "Well, I think we've done enough damage to Jake's fragile mind for one night." The guys all took the hint and started making their way to the door. I stopped them before they could leave.

"Guys, I don't want Bella to know any of these theories. Someday, I may let her in on them but, hell, I don't even know when I'm going to tell her about the imprint. She's hasn't been this strong or independent in a while and I don't want this to ruin that." The guys all agreed and left. All I knew is at this point I was exhausted. I went into my room and collapsed onto my bed, drifting off into a restless sleep.

The day after the bonfire I found that I just couldn't stay away from Bella, so I called her to come hang out at the beach. It was so hard not to take her in my arms and confess everything I was feeling for her. But, instinctively, I knew that wasn't what she needed. Ah, the beauty of imprinting. Be whatever she needs, right? Even if it slowly kills me. We did manage to have a good time and when I was able to push thoughts of imprinting from my mind, we were just how we used to be, just Jake and Bells.

Sam had set up a meeting with the Cullen's for Monday night. Even though Bella had kicked their son and brother to the curb, they were still more than willing to help. Alice had "seen" that Victoria was coming with an army. She didn't just want revenge on Bella. She wanted to take out the whole Cullen family. The cynical part of my brain couldn't help thinking that the creation of the pack would just be a huge waste if the reason we came to be was wiped out by a bunch of other bloodsuckers. I knew Bella would be pissed that we weren't able to tell her what was going on and when the threat would arrive. I was furious when Alice brought up the idea of Bella coming up here to the clearing to play baseball with them graduation night. Even though the pack had thrown her a party earlier, I still wanted more than anything to spend that night with her celebrating. But, Alice assured us that this would be best and would help keep Victoria and her newborns away from the tribe and the town of Forks.

We trained every night with them. It was actually pretty useful. Jasper taught us how to attack the newborns while avoiding being hit by them. He had fought in some kind of freaky vampire war and really knew his stuff. Apparently newborns are extremely strong during their first year or so. By the time Bella's graduation came around we were feeling more than prepared. The night before graduation Edward approached me.

"You've imprinted on her haven't you." I was shocked he had figured it out and still seemed so calm about it. Bella was supposedly his "singer," _his_ soul mate. Well, April Fool's, dumb ass!

"Yes, apparently I have." I wasn't going to go through the entire explanation Billy and Sam had come up with after the bonfire. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that this was a recent development, or put any sick ideas in his head about "what could have been."

"Jacob, it doesn't matter if it was a recent development or not. "What could have been" is no longer an issue when it comes to Bella and I. I just want to reassure you that I will not pursue her. I won't say the best man won, but fate did decide what would be best for Bella. Isn't that the most important thing? As much as you probably don't believe it, I really do just want her to be happy."

"Well, I can promise you, she will be happy with me. There's nothing I wouldn't do for her. But I will ask that you and your family keep this information to yourselves. I want to wait for the right time to tell her about the imprint. I know she doesn't need to jump head first into another relationship right now and when that time comes I want to know that she is in it because she loves me, not because she was chosen by fate to be with me. I don't want her to feel like her choice has been made for her."

Edward smiled and replied, "I think that's a good idea. You know how headstrong Bella is. She will not like feeling like the choice was made for her at all. That is where I made my mistake. I made too many decisions for her. Don't make the same mistake with her."

Pfft, as if I needed to take advice on love from a bloodsucker. "Ya, I'll try to remember that." Just at that moment, his family called him over. The training session was over and it was time to leave. Sam also wanted us to start resting, because as Alice had seen, the battle would be the day after Bella's graduation. I decided to do a run by Bella's house to check on her. My heart soared when I got under her window and heard her calling my name in her sleep.

Her graduation came and went and of course, the whole pack went. And of course, we embarrassed the hell out of her when she went up to get her diploma. But, my girl, she still didn't blush. It got the less gentlemanly part of my mind thinking what it would actually take now to get that pink in her cheeks again. After going out to dinner with her, Charlie, and Billy, I had to leave her to the leeches for that stupid baseball game.

I didn't fully trust the leeches around her playing something as physical as baseball. Well, normally it's not that much of a physical sport, but with Bella, who knows. I stayed in the woods, quietly watching the whole time. I nearly had a heart attack when she fell and got all scraped up. But, they surprised me, even Jasper, the one who tried to take a snap at her on her last birthday. I was also relieved when I saw that Edward really didn't try to pursue her. He barely even talked to her. She did seem to have a good time though, and since she was happy, I was happy. I ran by her house again that night when I knew she was home. I knew that tomorrow I would have to avoid her for "pack business" and I wanted to see her one more time before the battle. I climbed through her window and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. And once again, I was ecstatic when she sighed in her sleep, "Jacob, my Jacob."

**A/N: So, what do y'all think of my theory? Even though Breaking Dawn was a huge disappointment to me and the whole vampire baby thing was just, eww. In my mind, Jacob imprinting on Nessie (which, BTW, is more of a name than Renesmee, I mean, come on!) explained why he was so drawn to Bella but never ended up with her in the end. I wanted this chapter to be longer, but didn't want to feel like the battle was rushed. But, it is coming up soon! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sigh, I still don't own Twilight.** If I did I'd be rich and wouldn't have to sandwich writing in between working and all my other commitments.

**A/N:** _Okay, so it's been a long wait but life has just been really crazy lately and I apologize for that. And writers block is no excuse, but I really wanted to think about how this chapter (and the next) would play out without sounding lame. Hope it doesn't disappoint.  
_

Chapter 6.

BPOV

When I woke up the next morning, it was with huge relief. High school was over, I had left Edward and his possessive ways. The only thing that could make this any better at this point was if I could head down to La Push to hang out with Jacob. I hurried through some cereal and a shower, threw some things in a bag and started heading for the door.

My truck seemed to drive itself there and before I knew it I was pulling up to that familiar little red house. I hadn't even touched my knuckles to the door to knock when it came flying open.

"Bells, what are you doing here?" Hm, that was weird. Jacob almost seemed angry that I had come here.

"Well, I thought maybe we could head down to the beach and celebrate again that I'm a free woman, in more ways than one," I replied.

He huffed and shook his head. Okay, now I was confused. He really did look angry. He lifted his head to me and almost growled, "Bella, I'm really glad you came to see me but you have to go back home. I have a lot of pack stuff to do and it's going to take me all day."

I couldn't understand why he was being so mean about it. I mean, we were Jake and Bells. He had never pulled this kind of attitude with me. Hurt, I looked up at him and said, "Well, I guess if you're going to be busy then I will just go back home." I had started to turn away when he grabbed onto my wrist, turning me to face him.

"Look, today is just not a really good day. If I get done what I need to do then I'll stop by your house later. But do me a favor, don't leave your window open. I'll find another way in." His expression had softened a bit and he pulled me in for a hug. It wasn't his usual friendly, bone crushing, rib shattering hug though. It was firm, but I could tell there was a little bit of something hiding below the surface, maybe desperation?

"Okay, Jake, maybe I'll see you later." I got back in my truck and headed back home. Something weird was definitely going on. I didn't think I had done anything wrong. He had told me to go have fun with the Cullens last night. I came out of it alive and with very minor injuries so I figured he'd be happy or at least relieved to see me. Before I even reached my house I had made up my mind that I was going to confront him about his attitude the next time I saw him.

JPOV

I was officially a nervous wreck. Bella showing up this morning had thrown me for a loop. It killed me to send her away, just like it killed me to be keeping so much from her. I was stuck between a rock and and hard place. She resented the bloodsucker for keeping things from her "for her own good" but here I was doing the same thing. I could only hope that in time she would forgive me for it.

I sat down at the table to scarf down some breakfast before I needed to head out. Today was the day we had all been both waiting for and dreading. Victoria and her ridiculous army were going to show up in the clearing and we were going to take them out. But, that little bloodsucker had mentioned something about the Vulcans or whatever she called them showing up. Just the fact that the Cullens seemed leery of them was enough to put me even more on edge. As I was thinking this I knew I needed to calm down. My spoon was shaking on it's way to my mouth. No, I had to hold in whatever rage I had so I could unleash it on that filthy leech that was after Bella. Imprint or not, I could never live with myself if something happened to her. After I put my bowl in the sink, I headed out the door and over to Sam's where we would be meeting before the big showdown.

When I walked into Sam's house, everyone else was at the table eating breakfast. I could tell the pack was on edge. There wasn't the usual banter going on between my brothers. It was eerily silent in Emily's kitchen, and with a bunch of teenage wolves, that's something that almost never happens. When the food had been devoured, Sam stood up to address us all.

"My brothers, today will not be easy. But I want each and every one of you to know that no matter what the outcome is today, I am proud of all of you. You have all come a long way in a short amount of time. Today is the day that we each fulfill our purpose, our destiny bestowed upon us by the Great Spirits. Victoria has had her time, and we will ensure that time comes to an end. Her unnatural life will cease to be today and we will be doing our tribe, and mankind in general a great service. Fight hard, stay smart, and never forget that this curse will become our loved one's blessing today as we use our power to protect them."

The pack had all but bowed their heads as if in prayer. Quil, always the smart-ass piped up, "Jeez Sam, did ya get that out of the "Quileute Warrior's Handbook for Dummies?" Sam just glared at Quil for a second before starting to laugh a little bit. The rest of the pack followed suit. It was a tension breaker that we all needed and Sam was a great enough leader to realize that. We all knew Sam was proud of us and we all knew what we had to do. Despite Quil's comment, I think the pep talk did help kind of get our heads in the game and drive home just what we would be fighting for. When the laughter had died down, we all made our way out to Sam's back yard where the tribal elders were waiting to perform a pre-battle ritual, a blessing for the tribal warriors.

We all knelt reverently in front of the elders as, one by one, they filed passed us, blessing us in our native language and each adding a bit of traditional warrior paint to our bodies. After the last elder had gone through, my father wheeled himself back over to me, clapped me on the shoulder, looked me in the eye, and said, "Now go show that leechy bitch that we don't put up with her shit here." He turned to the rest of the pack and yelled, "Go give 'em hell boys!"

The pack sprung to their feet, whooping and hollering, and took off running into the forest to phase. The run there was quick and our thoughts were all a jumbled mix of our loved ones, the task at hand, and how many vamps we all thought we were going to knock off. Before we knew it the smell of the Cullens was burning through our nostrils and we had arrived at the clearing. The air was buzzing with anticipation, almost as if an electrical current was running through the clearing. The waiting was killing me. My muscles were bunched, tensed, and ready to spring. The tiny leech, Alice, stepped forward and warned us all, "They should be coming through the trees on the south side in about 3 minutes."

We turned and waited. Just like she had predicted, in 180 seconds, that red headed bitch and her reeking entourage broke through the trees. They made it to the middle of the clearing before she opened her stinking mouth to address us.

"Well, I see I have all the Cullen's lined up here in a row, how convenient. Although, I have to say I'm a little disappointed that your precious Bella isn't here. I'll just have to make a special trip into town after we take out your family. But, I am excited you brought your little lap dogs here. Your ankle biters will be no match for me and my coven." The breath coming out with every word smelled like rotting death and it made my instincts go haywire. I was losing any grip on control that I had. I needed this fight to start. I needed to end her. My wish was granted as Jasper gave the attack signal.

All hell broke loose.

The pack charged forward along with the Cullens. I made my way straight to Victoria but was stopped when a newborn jumped in front of her. She put her hand out to stop me but I took advantage of it and clamped my jaws around her upper arm. She was furiously thrashing, trying to get away, but I didn't let go. Her thrashing was only making it easier for me as it only helped twist her arm from her body as my jaws and body were locked into position. I spit the nasty appendage on the ground and jumped at her again. My claws shredded through her torso. The metallic screeching would have been deafening to human ears but at this point I couldn't tell the difference between the noises my claws were making on her marble skin and the screams coming out of her mouth. I finished her off in a matter of seconds after that and before I took on the next bloodsucker that stood between me and Victoria, I took in the carnage around me.

Jasper was one mean motherfucker. He was efficiently dismembering two newborns at once. The calm demeanor that he always held while training us was gone. That Jasper had been replaced by a bad-ass that was purely lethal. I had no idea what kind of hell he had to go through to get that way, but a sick part of my mind was grateful for it. I was also grateful that he was on our side because I knew that few beings, if any, would ever stand a chance against him.

Emmett's raw strength was unbelievable. He was currently being charged by three newborns at full speed. He raised both arms and clothes-lined them, causing them all to land on the ground. Later, I would be able to reflect on how it looked like something out of a Three Stooges movie, but for now I was glad that it had been effective. The newborns really had no clue how to fight. Those three immortal idiots stood up at the same time. Emmett grabbed the arms of the two on the outside and swung them both towards the one in the middle, slamming them all together with a deafening crack, effectively making a bloodsucker sandwich. This stunned them enough that he was able to finish them off quickly.

Edward's speed was amazing. Coupled with his mind reading ability nobody stood a chance against him. And the Cullen women, my god, they were brutal. I had never seen anything like them. They took on their adversaries with fierce determination and settled for nothing less than domination.

The pack was more than holding their own and the alpha blood born into me swelled with pride. In spite of the training that we had received from Jasper, we had decided that nobody would attack alone. I helped whichever of my brothers needed it. We all had each others backs. We were decimating the newborn army but I still wouldn't be satisfied until I ripped the last limb from Victoria and dropped the match on her stinking, pile of shit corpse. I saw her sneaking off to the edge of the clearing with two of her buddies at the same time as my alpha. Sam saw in my mind what I was planning and yelled at me through the pack mind to stop. He was tied up fighting a leech of his own and couldn't break away to halt my progress. But I couldn't be stopped. I wouldn't rest until she was dead.

My paws carried me with unbelievable speed through the mess of limbs and tangled, fighting bodies. I threw myself into one of the lackies that was following her, knocking him to the ground. She turned on me with pure rage and swung her fist at me, sending me flying back. If I hadn't been so consumed by my hatred for her, I would have felt the pain from the bones she cracked in my shoulder but there was no way she was getting away from me. I jumped up and grabbed onto her arm and with one quick twist of my head, her arm tore out of the socket. I lunged at her again, grabbing onto her thigh. She pulled away but I held my jaw fast and tore away a huge chunk. I could faintly make out thumps on my back and legs. With the combination of my wolf instincts and the pure adrenaline rush I was experiencing from my human side, I barely felt the beating I was taking from the newborns behind me. I stood up on my hind legs, clamping my jaw down where her neck met the rest of her body.

She was swinging at me with the arm she had left. I could hear bones cracking under the force of her blows but my mind could not register that they were my own ribs. As the two newborns rushed at my back again, I used the hold I had on her as leverage, kicking my hind legs into the air, pushing them away. Victoria and I both fell to the ground, me on top of her, my jaws still latched onto her body. I heard Sam and Jasper behind me making quick work of the other two leeches. In the split second it took for us to fall, she was able to see that she was losing, that her newborns had done her no good. I used her moment of distraction to get a better hold on her neck. My massive jaws were now on either side of her neck. I was squeezing them with everything I had left, thrashing my head around madly. Finally, success. Her head ripped away from her body, her eyes staring at me with pure fury.

At that moment, all the energy and all the adrenaline drained out of my body. I stumbled away from her and collapsed at the edge of the woods. My brain was beginning to register the pain that was seeping into my body. My chest felt like it was on fire. The scene in the clearing was grisly. There were piles of limbs everywhere. The sickly sweet stench from those who were already burning filled the air with a smell I hope never to encounter again.

Sam had phased back and walked over to my quivering form. He looked at me and said, "Jacob, you did it. I know you wanted the honors of dropping the match on her, but it seems like you won't be able to do that just now. Mind if I do it?" I used my last bit of energy to look up and huff at him, then my head dropped to the ground in exhaustion. Sam chuckled and said, "I'll take that as a yes."

He threw a match onto the pile Jasper had made out of her limbs and I watched as that red headed devil woman went up in flames.

EPOV

I stood with my family and watched the piles of burning vampires, the wisps of purple smoke rising into the air. Carlisle was checking over the pack. Most of them had minor injuries that were already starting to heal. That was when I saw Jacob. He was laying on the ground at the forest's edge. I called to Carlisle and nodded over at Jacob's direction. Before both of us could make our way over there to check on him, Alice grabbed onto my arm. Her face was one of pure fright. She looked at me and said, "Edward, you have to hurry and try to get him to phase back and then the pack needs to get out of here. The Volturi will be here soon and it would be in the pack's best interest if they were not around for that."

Carlisle and I quickly went over to Jacob. Sam was with him trying to get him to phase back. There was blood matted into his fur and he was breathing heavily. His heartbeat was still strong though, so I knew that even though his injuries were painful, they would hopefully not be life threatening. Nothing Sam was saying was getting him to phase.

"Jacob, you have to think about Bella. Think about the fact that she is finally safe. You can finally start your life with her, free from distraction and free from the threat of Victoria. Jacob, she needs you to be well and you can't heal if you are not human. Carlisle will treat you, but you have to phase back." I looked at Sam and said, "You have to try to get him to phase. The Volturi will be arriving and the pack cannot be here when they get here."

"Edward, I don't think I can get him to phase just yet. The fight is still too fresh in his mind and until he calms himself, it just won't be possible." Sam then turned to Carlisle and said, "Can you do the best you can to check him over? We will carry him back in wolf form if you determine it's safe. After you take care of what you need to with the Volturi we will allow you to cross over the treaty line into La Push to treat him." Carlisle nodded and did a quick exam. He determined there were no spinal or neck injuries and that it would be safe to carry Jake back to La Push. His brothers picked him up and made their way out of the clearing.

My family and I had nothing to do but wait. _Wait to die, wait to live, wait for an absolution, that would never come._ _(Titanic, 1997)_ It turned out we wouldn't have to wait long. Alice advised us they would be coming into the clearing any minute now.

Aro led the Volturi with his guard following close behind him. I had no idea what they were doing here and Alice was frantically searching her mind for any vision that would give us a clue as to their purpose. As they made their way closer to us, I was too engrossed in trying to read their thoughts to see the vision that was passing through her mind as she gasped and held back a sob. When Aro and the guard were about 10 feet away from us, they stopped and he addressed us.

"Ah, Carlisle, my old friend, how nice to see you again. And from what I gather, you have taken care of what could have been a very nasty problem for us."

Carlisle stepped forward and replied, "Yes, Aro, we try to maintain a permanent residence here and Victoria and her antics were threatening to expose our world. We did what we thought was right in order to keep the secret."

"As you should, my dear comrade. However, it amazes me that you were able to take down a coven of this size with just the seven of you? And Edward, it is lovely to see you again as well. Tell me, how is your dear Isabella doing. Such a pity she is not here. I was so looking forward to seeing her again."

I cringed at the way he said Bella's name. I looked at him and said, "She is doing well sir. Unfortunately she had... another commitment." He had the worst grin on his face as he held up his hand to me and said, "May I?" Carlisle nodded to me and I moved forward to place my palm against his.

"Yes, very interesting indeed Edward. She has not been changed yet as was part of our agreement. And what's this I see about wolves? Caius, you would love to see what I have seen. It seems Edward's darling Isabella has fallen in with werewolves and has not been changed. Edward, I assume you still plan to change her as per our agreement?"

Caius was growling in the background. I knew for Bella's sake that I had to do everything I could to keep both Bella and the wolves safe.

"Caius, you have nothing to fear from the wolves. They are the protectors of their tribe and are not true werewolves. They are shape-shifters who only take the shape of wolves because that is what was chosen and passed down by their ancestors. And I regret to say that I will not be changing Bella as she belongs to another now. The bond you see between her and the wolf is an imprint, the wolf's way of finding his soul mate. It is my understanding that it is an unbreakable bond. I will not be standing in the way of Bella's happiness." I raised my chin somewhat defiantly.

"Yes Edward, I see. But how are we to know that she will keep the secret? That was the point of changing her. She was a human that knew too much and needed to be dealt with. Edward, you made a deal. Are you telling me you are going back on your word?" Aro was looking smug and I knew I was faltering. He was hiding his thoughts so well that I had no idea where he was going with this, but I knew I couldn't trust him.

"I can give you every assurance that Bella will not let our secret out. The wolves also are bound by secrecy. Only the tribal elders and the wolves' imprints can know of their existence. As they trust her to keep their secret, I trust her to keep ours." It was only then that I registered Alice's quiet sobbing from behind me. She kept saying over and over "I didn't see in time, I couldn't stop it." I knew in that moment that it was a very real possibility that either my life or Bella's was in immense danger. I still loved her with all my heart. When at one time I was willing to join her in death when I thought that was necessary, I was now ready to give my life so that she could live.

"Well, Edward, you have put us in a very tight spot. I was prepared to meet the newest vampire of the illustrious Cullen coven, yet here I am disappointed. What to do, what to do?" Aro was arrogantly drumming his fingers against his chin. I had no idea how he was keeping his thoughts so well hidden. The only thing I could figure was that he had found another shield like he thought Bella would have been. Time began to slip away. I had no idea how long we stood there, it could have minutes or hours. I silently waited for Aro to decide not only my fate, but the fate of Bella and my family. At last, Aro broke the silence.

"Someone, I don't care who, must bring Isabella to me at once."

**A/N**

**I hope this was okay. I really struggled with this chapter. And again, I'm so sorry about the long wait. I'm already working on the next one, so hopefully it will be up rather quickly.**

By the way, I don't own Titanic either, I've just always loved that quote. Maybe it fit here, maybe it didn't, but I liked it.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N Sorry for the wait. I'm lame and have no excuse. I had all these great ideas for a story in my head, but, unfortunately it's not playing out like I wanted to. I've had a little bit of traffic to this story, and the small amount doesn't bother me at all, but I will try to keep up with it a little better for those of you who have reviewed and added it to your favorites.**

**BPOV**

When I got home from Jake's I looked around the house and saw that it could use a good cleaning. With all the time I had spent at the Cullen's, I had really started neglecting things here at home. I started in the kitchen, scrubbing the counters, the appliances and floor. When that was finished, I moved on to the living room and dusted everything in site, vacuumed the couch, Charlies favorite chair, the floor, even dusted some cobwebs out of the corners. I then moved on to the bathroom, the laundry, and my bedroom. Unfortunately I was done in no time, so I went back downstairs to try to watch whatever movie was on TV.

I settled on an Adam Sandler flick, but just could not get my head into it. My trip to Jake's this morning was disappointing and I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. The only time that Jake had ever been that way towards me was when he first phased. He was keeping something big from me and I knew I would find out sooner or later, even if I had to beat it out of him with a crow bar.

The next thing I knew, the credits were rolling and I had missed the whole movie. I was just coming back from the laundry room when the front door burst open and Emmett was there in my kitchen looking more disheveled than a Cullen had any right to be.

"Bella, you have to come with me now!"

My heart dropped into my stomach.

Running with Emmet wasn't as fast or as smooth as with Edward, but before I knew it we had stopped. I could see the baseball clearing through the trees and the sight almost dropped me to my knees. Thick purple smoke still hung in the air, and standing in front of my former family was the Volturi.

**EPOV**

Emmet and Bella walked slowly into the clearing. I was glad that we sent him to get Bella, knowing that he could put Bella at ease with his demeanor. But when they walked up to the family, there was nothing easy going about either of them.

Aro looked at Bella, who was standing between Emmet and Rosalie, and said, "Oh, Isabella, so wonderful to see you again. I trust you have been well?"

She didn't answer and just kept looking at him, panic written all across her face. I knew Jasper would do what he could to help keep her emotions under control, but I also knew he didn't want to draw the attention of the Volturi with his gift any more than the rest of us.

"Dear Isabella, you have no reason to fear me or my guard and brothers. We are simply here because we heard of the nasty problem Victoria was causing for our world. But, now that I see that your family has taken care of it and our services are not needed here. While we were 'in the neighborhood' as the saying goes, we thought we would see about your plans for transformation."

Aro's statements were met with silence on our part and anticipation from the members of his guard. They knew that if plans had changed one of them may get to be the lucky one drain Bella. But I wasn't going to let that happen. I caught Bella's eye and nodded reassuringly, hopefully letting her know that it was okay to tell them that she would no longer be changed. I knew I was taking a huge chance, but we didn't have any choice. We couldn't hide the fact that Bella was not going to become a vampire.

Bella stepped forward a bit and replied timidly to Aro, "Well, I'm sorry to say that Edward and I are not together anymore and I have no desire to be changed anymore."

Aro smiled and remarked, "Well, Isabella, a rule, a law has been broken. Being the daughter of such a respectable peace officer as your father, you know that there must be a consequence. What would you propose, dear?"

My family began snarling with rage while Aro just looked on, amused. He knew how to push people's buttons. He knew allowing Bella to think she was shouldering the responsibility of the decision would wrack her with guilt. Bella did what was most likely the stupidest thing I have ever seen her do. She ran right up to Aro, dropped to her knees, gathering his robes into her tiny pale fists and begged, "NO, please leave my father out of this! He knows nothing! He has no idea this world exists. I broke the rules! Please don't hurt him for my mistakes!"

Aro bent slightly, gathering Bella's arms, pulling her to her feet and motioned for me to come to her. I ghosted over at vampire speed and placed her behind me. It was all I could do to keep my rage hidden as I snarled at Aro, "Bella's father really knows nothing, you know this is true, Aro."

"Ah yes, Edward, I know, I was merely trying to prove a point to young Miss Swan." He looked down to Bella and said, "But you know as well as I do that it was not really you who broke the rule or made the mistake to begin with, Isabella, now was it? And you did make a deal with us that day not too long ago in Italy." Bella was shaking in my arms. She was trying so hard to stay strong in front of these monsters. I only admired her all the more for it.

She took a deep breath and said to Aro, "What do we need to do to fix this?"

I could no longer keep the fear out of my voice. I knew a decision was coming, as Alice's sobs had only intensified behind me. "Aro, you said yourself, this was not her mistake, it was not her that went against your laws in the first place. Whatever you are planning to do, do it to me and me only."

Aro paced back and forth in front of the line of his guard. I knew he had his mind made up already or Alice wouldn't be so upset. Finally, he made his decision known to us.

"I propose an exchange, Edward. Your service to the Volturi to spare your Isabella's life. I know from your memories that you still love her. But the questions is, do you love her enough to sacrifice your freedom so that she may keep hers?" I knew without hesitation what my answer would be.

"Yes Aro, I will go with you." Shocked gasps resonated from my family. Esme began pleading with me not to go. Alice's sobbing grew more vocal as she said over and over again, "I couldn't stop it, there's no other way." Jasper did what he could to soothe her. I, on the other hand, still didn't trust that the Volturi wouldn't harm Bella anyway. As if Carlisle could read my mind, he stepped forward to speak to Aro.

"If you take my son, I want a solemn vow from you that you will not harm the girl. That you will let her live her life and that my son's sacrifice will not be in vain." Carlisle knew all too well the delicate situation we were in. With the pack gone back to La Push, there was no way we could take on the Volturi guard in a fight. Yet, my family had also broken the cardinal rule. They were just as guilty for revealing the secret as I was. But I would not let them sacrifice themselves. I had brought this on them and I would be the one to pay the price.

I looked at Aro and said, "If I may, I would like certain assurances as well. I do not want my family to be harmed. I will go willingly with you to Volterra and serve for as long as you like. I also do not want any harm to come to the wolves."

Aro actually rolled his crimson eyes at me and replied, "I have no interest in the wolves at all. They are completely insignificant. In fact, they may prove to be useful in situations such and what happened today. I can also assure you that if you agree to serve, no harm will ever come to your family or Isabella." At that point, whatever had been shielding his thoughts with was dropped or opened and I was able to see into his mind. He was telling the truth and had no desire to take anyone but me. It was the easiest choice I could make.

"Aro, if I may have a moment to say goodbye to my family then" He nodded his head and turned to make his way to the edge of the clearing. I turned to them all and embraced each one of them. They looked devastated but I tried to assure them that this was for the best. I also knew in my heart that they would not stop trying to get me back home with them. My farewells done, I turned and walked across the clearing to my unfortunate new life.

**A/N Short chapter, I know. Let me know what you think. The problem I'm having is I have so many good beginnings in my head, but when it comes down the meat of the story, I'm lost. Hopefully it will get better.**


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